Golden glitter on the seafloor
near Florida's Marquesas Keys told
veteran salvor Mel Fisher that he
had found a major wreck. Author
Eugene Lyon's discoveries in Span
ish archives had shifted the search
by 100 miles.
First, Fisher found a musket ball
and ceramic shards; nearby, using
an iron-detecting magnetometer,
his team located a galleon anchor
then, paydirt: golden links and
silver coins.
One diver surfaced with a gold
whistle complete with manicure set
and ear spoon (right), perhaps once
the property of the galleon pilot. A
41/ 2-pound gold disk (left, center)
bore seals attesting that the royal
tax had been paid. Thirty lengths
of gold chain were found, some with
links as big as acorns.
Bars lacking seals (left, above)
indicated contraband. A crushed
gold cup (below), once ringed in
side with emeralds, undoubtedly
belonged to a person of rank.
Fisher had found cause for cele
bration-and doubt. The items
were surely from a Spanish ship.
But were they from Atocha?
DInRIFT ; PATTON(FACINGPAGE ANDBATESLITTLEHALES.BOTH NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC
STAFF
National Geographic,June 1976
792